Myths About Mosquito Control

Debunking Ineffective Mosquito Control Methods

Are you part of a municipality, mosquito abatement district, planned community, homeowners association, or military base that has received several phone calls from residents seeking relief this mosquito season? The VDCI team is here to help!

Implementing an integrated mosquito management program is essential to helping reduce nuisance populations and prevent mosquito bites that could transmit many serious vector-borne diseases. Before we outline our recommended 4-prong approach to target all phases of the mosquito’s life cycle, we would like to provide you and your residents with the facts on a few DIY methods of mosquito control.

BUG ZAPPER

Almost two million homeowners have turned to the use of ultraviolet or black light electrocutors to zap their residental mosquito problems, but do they work? No!

Researchers have found that while these traps do attract and kill thousands of insects every night, mosquitoes are a very small percentage of the bugs killed. In fact, mosquitoes comprised only 6.4% of a five-day insect catch. Not only was the mosquito population a small percentage of all insects killed during this particular study, but only half of the mosquitoes were females. Only female mosquitoes are blood-feeding and will bite humans.

MISTING SYSTEMS

Installed residential misting systems have been a hot topic in recent years. Buyer beware: There are numerous concerns with these systems which include, but are not limited to, un-needed or over pesticide application, negative impact on non-target beneficial insect populations, development of pesticide resistance as well as many other concerns. The American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) has taken a stance against these misting systems until there has been more research and efficacy testing done. Read more on the AMCA’s apprehension to support this method of mosquito control here.

BATS

Attract bats to your backyard with a bat-roost box and you have effectively created an environment to manage mosquitoes. Right? Wrong!

Studies have shown that while bats devour a huge number of insects, mosquitoes are only a small part of their diet. A study of fecal pellets of bats in Indiana conducted throughout an entire summer revealed that the primary food items were beetles, moths, and leafhoppers. A very small number of mosquitoes (0.7%) were found in the stomachs of bats in another study. Bats are “selective opportunists” when it comes to their feeding habits, and they will take a variety of prey. Why take a scrawny little mosquito when you can have a fat juicy moth? Unfortunately, mosquitoes are just not a significant part of their diet. The evidence from stomach analysis and feces examination does not justify the hypothesis that insectivorous bats focus on particular types of insects.

Don’t forget to consider that creating a bat habit large enough to rid you of those irritating mosquitoes may trade a mosquito problem for a bat problem!

CITROSA PLANTS

Many plants are commonly thought to repel mosquitoes. The citrosa plant, marketed as a mosquito plant, is believed to have been created by crossing tissue cultures of an African Germanium with the Grass of China that contains citronella oil. Citronella oil is an active ingredient in mosquito-repellent candles; however, while the smoke from the candles will repel a few mosquitoes itself, it has very little to do with the citronella. In fact, some researchers believe that the only way the citrosa plant can release the citronella oil is to crush the plant. No studies are available to support the idea that the citrosa plant or any other plant repels mosquitoes strongly enough to improve human comfort.

Effective Mosquito Management

The most effective way to control mosquitoes is through an Integrated Mosquito Management program. VDCI recommends a 4-pronged approach for communities, municipalities, mosquito abatement districts, industrial sites, planned communities, homeowners associations, military bases, and golf courses to target all phases of the mosquito’s life cycle:

1: Public Education

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Community understanding of how to properly eliminate mosquito breeding habitat and take personal protective measures is critical. Furthermore, distribution of educational pieces is important for treating symptoms and aids public health officials in identifying problem areas.

2: Surveillance

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In order to understand the risk and address the threat appropriately, it is critical to determine the mosquito distribution, density, and species composition throughout the target area. Surveillance will also provide direct evidence of an increased transmission risk of vector-borne diseases such as West Nile virus, Zika virus, Dengue, and Chikungunya.

3: Larval Mosquito Control

When mosquito larvae are detected in an area, trained and experienced ground crews reduce breeding habitat when possible, then preferentially apply Bacillus thuringiensis var israelensis (Bti) to remaining areas of standing water, stagnant pools, and water-holding containers. Aerial and ground application of larvicide via ULV equipment can provide control in hard to reach container habitats.

4: Adult Mosquito Control


VDCI recommends targeted ultra low volume (ULV) applications when larviciding efforts are not sufficient to combat mosquito levels.  For direct control in residential areas, targeted ULV applications can be combined with residual “barrier” treatments via backpack applicators to mosquito harborage areas near homes and other structures.  In addition, truck and aerial ULV applications can be utilized across wide-areas to reduce the adult mosquito population.  These treatments should be performed based on surveillance data which includes mosquito populations and presence of disease. When combined with our larvicide efforts, these methods have proven highly effective at significantly reducing local populations of the target mosquitoes.

Contact Us to Learn More About Effective Mosquito Management Strategies:

VDCI_Logo_squareSince 1992, Vector Disease Control International (VDCI) has taken pride in providing municipalities, mosquito abatement districts, industrial sites, planned communities, homeowners associations, and golf courses with the tools they need to run effective mosquito control programs. We are determined to protect the public health of the communities in which we operate. Our mosquito control professionals have over 100 years of combined experience in the field of public health, specifically vector disease control. We strive to provide the most effective and scientifically sound mosquito surveillance and control programs possible based on an Integrated Mosquito Management approach recommended by the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). VDCI is the only company in the country that can manage all aspects of an integrated mosquito management program, from surveillance to disease testing to aerial application in emergency situations.

Adulticiding: Applications for Effective Mosquito Control

Utilizing Science and Technology to Manage Mosquitoes

Although surveillance and larviciding should be the first steps in any mosquito control program, the control of adult mosquito populations is a critical component of an integrated mosquito management effort. People often associate adult mosquito control with “truck spraying.” While a truck-mounted sprayer is often the delivery mechanism of choice, there are several other aspects you should take into account. Below are seven considerations for anyone considering an adulticide application.

1. Know the Target Mosquito

Surveillance of mosquito populations is critical for an effective adult mosquito control application. Surveillance allows us to understand not only the number of mosquitoes present but also the distribution of species in a given area. Culex mosquitoes fly at certain times of night (depending on the geography, temperature, and daylight) and are more susceptible to certain types of products. An Anopheles mosquito can behave quite differently and might require a different product or application rate. In summary, there are many decisions to make when considering an application for adult mosquito control and the first piece of information to understand when making those decisions is the species of mosquito that one is targeting.

2. Know the Label

The label is the law and must be followed at all times. In addition to providing safety and handling information, the label outlines the proper application rate for the product. Based on the range of application rates, one must determine at what label rate he/she wishes to make the application. Different label rates are appropriate in different environmental situations for different species and even different densities.

3. Variable Flow Control

In the old days of mosquito control, application equipment generally had only one flow rate. In other words, the same amount of product was applied whether a truck was driving at 5 miles per hour or 15 miles per hour. Since it is difficult to drive one speed at all times, this resulted in inconsistent application rates. Thankfully, today’s technology allows mosquito control professionals to adjust the flow rate of their application equipment based on the speed of the truck. In fact, this happens automatically based on GPS information. The speed of the truck is fed into the application equipment, which then automatically adjusts its pump speed, resulting in variable flow rates. This has three main benefits:

a.  Consistent application rates. This technology ensures you are applying at the desired rate.
b.  Environmentally sustainable. Variable flow ensures that we are not over-applying product. On the same note, it also ensures that we are not under-applying product, which can lead to mosquito resistance.
c.  By ensuring you are applying according to label rates, variable flow technology ensures you are performing your adult mosquito control application according to the label requirements.

4. Calibration of Spray Equipment

Due to regular “wear and tear,” equipment can adjust over time. It is important to regularly calibrate your application equipment. For example, if your flow rate is set at 5 ounces per minute, you must regularly confirm that the equipment is dispensing product at that rate. One must pick the desired flow rate based on the label and the target mosquito. Before any application, you should confirm that the equipment is indeed calibrated for the exact flow rate you would like to achieve. Once the flow rate is calibrated, the variable flow process ensures that the properly calibrated amount of product is applied (see above).

5. Droplet Characterization

Similar to calibrating the flow rate of a machine, you should ensure that the equipment is producing droplets of product that are perfectly sized for mosquito control. Droplets that are too small will not kill the mosquito and can even lead to resistance. On the other hand, droplets that are too large will not drift through the target area and fall to the ground, not having any affect at all on the mosquito population either. Furthermore, proper droplet size can help to minimize the effects on non-target and beneficial insect populations. Droplet characterization requires advanced equipment to determine the size of each droplet your equipment is producing.

6. GPS Monitoring

All adult mosquito control applications should be monitored using GPS technology. This technology allows you to see the status of the application equipment (on or off) and the amount of product that was applied. In addition, GPS monitoring can allow for ‘spray maps’ to be created, which can be a good communication tool for the public and help to ensure that intended target areas were evenly covered.

7. Record Keeping

Maintaining data is a critical component of any Integrated Mosquito Management program and this is no different when it comes to adult mosquito control. Paper records should be considered an absolute minimum; ideally, a database of some kind is utilized to maintain application records.

Build An Effective Mosquito Control Program

A critical component of any Integrated Mosquito Management program is adult mosquito control. A successful adult control program should be one of the primary pillars for controlling nuisance and disease-vectoring mosquitoes. If you are not spraying at the right time, in the right place, and with the right flow rate, your effectiveness will be greatly reduced. There are many considerations to ensure an effective program, but you can contact a professional applicator at Vector Disease Control International (VDCI) with additional questions or to set up your community or business’ mosquito control program today

Contact Us to Learn More About Effective Mosquito Prevention Strategies:

VDCI_Logo_square Since 1992, Vector Disease Control International (VDCI) has taken pride in providing municipalities, mosquito abatement districts, industrial sites, planned communities, homeowners associations, and golf courses with the tools they need to run effective mosquito control programs. We are determined to protect the public health of the communities in which we operate. Our mosquito control professionals have over 100 years of combined experience in the field of public health, specifically vector disease control. We strive to provide the most effective and scientifically sound mosquito surveillance and control programs possible based on an Integrated Mosquito Management approach recommended by the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). VDCI is the only company in the country that can manage all aspects of an integrated mosquito management program, from surveillance to disease testing to aerial application in emergency situations.